Improvement in hoops foe skiets



@nitro 'tutr latmt @ffice L. DE -FOREST, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT."-Letters Patent No. 64,952: dated Jlcty 2l, 1857.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOPS FOR SKIRTS.

'lO ALL WIIOM I'I MAY CONCICRN:

Be it known that I, L. DE Font-1ST, of Birmingham, in the county of NewHaven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inHoop-Skirts; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with theaccompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of th'e same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Iiigure l, a side view of a portion of the lower part of the skirt, andin Figure i2 a transverse section of a hoop enlarged,

'lhis invention relates to an improvement in the protection for thelower hoop or hoops, the object being to. prevent the wear upo'thecovering consequent upon Vthe dragging of the hoop, and consists in asuccession of metallic clasps or spangles placed near together aroundthe hoop or hoops, and clasped over the covering so that a metallicsurface onlyT is presen ted to receive the wear; and in order to thebet-ter understanding of my invention, as well as to4 enable others toconstruct the saine` I will proceed to a description thereof, asillustrated in thc accompanying` drawings. l

'l'he general construction of the skirt is the same as for ordinaryhoop-skirts. A represents thc tape, I3 the hoops, and C the spangles ordevice for securing the hoop to the tape. The hoops are cut to theirproper length, and either Abefore or after so cutting are passed throughthe common spangling or tacking machine, in which are placed thespaugles a, of any desired form or configuration, and as the hoop ispassed through the machine ntproper intervals, preferring about three tothe inch, I strike the spangles on to the hoop, closing the `spanglesiirmly therein, as denoted in'red, -iig. 2. 'Ihen the hoop or hoops areintroduced into the skirt in the y usual manner; or ifprefcrred thehoops may be first placed in the skirt and the spangles afterward placedupon the hoop. By this arrangement the hoop is considerably strengthenedwithout impairing thelexibilty, and the covering is protected from wearin the most perfect manner and if, perchance, the covering is worn orbroken at any point, the clasps or spangles prevent the covering fromfurther wear or slipping upon the wire. More or less numbers of thehoops maybe thus protected, yet I think practically that three isall-sucient.

I have stated that I place the spangles about three to the inch. This ofcourse depends upon their size; and in making this statement I refer tospangles of common size, believing such size to be practically the best,yet larger or smaller spanglcs or clasps may bc employed, but should notbc so long as to impair the flexibility of the hoop.

Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim as new 'anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Protecting the hoops of hoop-skirts by a. succession of metallic claspsor spanglcs, in the manner and for purpose substantially as herein setforth.

L. DE FOREST.

Witnesses:

A. J. Trurrs, J. H. SnUMwAY.

